Rhys, Pinot Noir, Horseshoe Vineyard, 2008
I had read that Allen Meadows had given this bottling his all-time highest score for a U.S. wine. So I was very curious to try it. My interest was piqued as well by all I have read on this board about everyone sitting on Rhys wines and curious how they will stand the test of time.
I’m not a Rhys aficionado, but here’s my take: This is a very “still” wine in the best sense of the word. It’s quiet, poised and elegant. No need to raise its voice or throw elbows around. You have to sit patiently with the wine to coax its charms. Fresh looking after 8 years in bottle. Nice savory nose. Fruit profile is dark cranberry with just a bit of citrus peel. Medium weight and resolved. Polished mouthfeel with pleasing succulence. Good length that ends with understated stemmy/herbaceous notes.
Did this wine “wow” me? No. Did this wine provide intellectual and sensory pleasure? Very much so. I see the attraction of Rhys – restrained, food friendly, evocative of place. As to this bottling, I’m not sure if this will put on more weight or tertiary complexity.
Raveneau, Chablis AC, 2008
Strangely the village bottling is often the most difficult for me to find. I always grab them when I see them. One is always excited to open a bottle of Ravenueau, but the truth is this is a “neither fish nor fowl wine” for me. It’s a fantastic AC with the underlying Raveneau DNA and structure – ample lemon fruit bookmarked by pleasing salinity. Very fresh and open. Chalky nose. But it lacks the tension and sense of possibility exhibited by his 1er Crus. On day 2, this wine took on a bit more weight but it had a distracting Parmesan rind note on the nose.
Don’t get me wrong, I could drink this all weeklong if offered to me. But the QPR isn’t there for me. If I’m going to pay up the wazoo for the Raveneau premium, I’d rather pay $90 for the great stuff rather than $40 for the very good stuff.
Just a thought on how the Rhys might develop. I use a lot of stems as well, and the 08s are in a nice spot but still quiet, and darker than I would have expected at 8 years old. My 05s were also like this, but a recently tasted bottle was quite a bit more expressive and really in a beautiful place. I am no expert on Rhys wines or terroir, but your note just reminded me of a few recent 08 experiences that struck a similar chord. Was this your only bottle? And do you think it would handle another 2-3 years in the cellar?
I opened another 08 Rhys recently, a swan terrace. Nose was pure and primary upon opening but within a few minutes in the glass it really shut down. Sounds like your tasting note is similar to my experience with that wine after being open for a few minutes. Tons of structure and acid so hoping these will reopen many years down the road.
Hey Marcus … i have two other bottles. I’m not deeply vested in them and their eventual outcome. But I’m probably going to hold onto them for another 2-3 years as you suggest and see where they go. They definitely have the bones and breeding to go longer. I’m just not expert enough to determine if they will be significantly different wines with the passage of time.
Matthew – Thanks for the notes. I’ve been hesitant to open any of my '08 Horseshoe’s just yet. Based on your description, it would appear that this just needs more time to come out of hibernation.
Marcus – Interesting observation. Back in 2010, RT hosted one of his Blind Pinot Nights and we checked out several of the 2005 offerings (notes here). At the time, one of the striking features to me was how ‘clean’ the '05 Oregon Pinots were. I assume that this is the same as the ‘still’ and ‘quiet’ descriptors that Matthew and you are using. As you note, the better '05 Oregon Pinots are definitely starting to enter their drinking window. The ‘05 Arterberry Maresh Maresh Vineyard Pinot that I had a few months ago was rockin’ with a couple of hours of air.
In general terms, Kevin has suggested drinking '09, '10, '08, '07 in this order. I hope Kevin sees this thread and updates us on where he currently sees the drinking order to include the more recent vintages. I’m curious if he thinks the '07s are opening up.
Russ,
That is still the vintage order that I would recommend. The '07s are definitely opening but there is no hurry, they are still improving. I would drink the '07s in the following order - Family Farm, Skyline, Swan Terrace, Horseshoe, Home, Alpine.